Here at The Financial Blogger, we cover a variety of money-related topics, whether they be the more serious subjects such as loans and budgets or simply tips on how to make a little extra cash doing online surveys. We’ve also covered online games in the past, particularly those that fall within the iGaming genre as these are online games played for real money. We’ve discussed tips on how to succeed at online poker, the best payment methods to use at online casinos and we’ve even skimmed the surface of how bitcoin can be used in the online gaming arena.

However, one subject we are yet to cover in the world of online gaming is online bingo; arguably the most popular online game of all.

Where Does Bingo Come From?

Though statistics may lead you to believe that bingo originated in the UK, it actually all started in Italy with a weekly lottery named Lo Giuoco del Lotto d’Italia that still continues to this day. The Italian lottery began in 1530 after the country was united and, much like modern-day lotteries, was won by whoever managed to correlate the numbers on their ticket with those picked at random from a huge collection of numbered balls. Unsurprisingly this lottery became extremely popular and soon spread to France in the 1700s, where it was renamed Le Lotto and was played by most of the very fanciest French aristocracy.

It was when the lottery transitioned to France that we first see the playing cards being divided into sections. There were three horizontal rows crisscrossed with nine vertical rows, with random numbers from 1 to 90 resting in each section except for four that were mysteriously left blank. Players would then gather together to listen to someone call out the numbers written on randomly selected tokens, marking off any numbers that appeared on their playing card. The first person to fill out an entire horizontal row was the winner.

These lottery games soon spread throughout Europe, many resembling what we know today as bingo, but it wasn’t until December 1929 that true modern bingo was born. New York toy salesman Edwin S. Lowe was driving to Jacksonville, USA when he noticed a country carnival taking place. He soon noticed that every single booth at the carnival was closed except for one that was absolutely packed, where it seemed players were sat around a horseshoe-shaped table covered in numbered cards and beans.

The locals called the game Beano, and it very much resembled the lotteries that had been played in Europe for centuries. The caller selected numbered disks from a cigar box, stating the numbers as the players quickly placed beans over the numbers on their cards. Once a player managed to get a line they would shout “Beano!” and be awarded a Kewpie doll. Lowe saw just how popular the game was and decided to make his own version, using dried beans, some cardboard and a rubber numbering stamp.

After returning to New York, Lowe invited many of his friends around to play his new game. Before long, his friends were just as into the game as those that had been at the carnival, with one woman shouting “BINGO!” instead of beano due to the excitement. Thus, Edwin S. Lowe’s Bingo! was created and became an overnight success, spreading through America without stopping. Soon the entire world was playing bingo, either engaging in games with family at home or travelling to dedicated bingo halls to compete against other fanatics. It was in 1968 that bingo was formalised in the UK under the UK Gaming Act and by 1986 when the National Bingo Game became legal, almost everyone was playing throughout Britain.

Alas, as the years went by, newer generations had many other pastimes to consider and soon bingo became a game reserved for older people. It wasn’t until bingo made the transition onto the internet that it began picking up popularity again.

The Beginning of Online Bingo

The first online bingo sites appeared in 2003, attracting numerous casual gamers who had flocked to the internet. In 2013, it was estimated that the European Union online bingo market was worth about €926.6m, €312m of which came from the UK – the world’s largest online bingo market. As playing online games for money became more popular at online casinos, bingo soon became attached to the iGaming industry, appearing alongside table games and slots at numerous online sites. According to Statista, this online gambling market was worth an estimated total of $37.91billion in 2015 and may increase to $59.79 billion by 2020.

Why is Online Bingo so Successful?

Considering the historical popularity of bingo, it’s not difficult to understand how the game itself became popular. After all, it’s a game of chance that allows us to play with family and friends without really being responsible for who wins or loses. It’s easy, it’s friendly and above all, bingo is fun. Still, even a successful game like bingo found it difficult to compete with more modern pastimes such as video game consoles, the internet and other 21stcentury activities.

So, instead of slowly dying off and resigning itself to history, bingo revitalised itself by taking over the world wide web. Now, there are quite literally thousands of online bingo sites, so many that platforms like Oddschecker now sift through them all to find no-deposit offers and deals for online bingo enthusiasts. After all, not every online bingo site is created equal and if they want your business they best be offering a great deal.

No longer is bingo resigned to a town hall or abandoned cinema building like it was in the 90s; now players can jump online anytime, anywhere as long as they have an internet connection. On desktop, laptop, tablet or smartphone, online bingo sites are easily accessible and offer a wide variety of games suitable for almost every playing style.

Of course, it wasn’t just the game itself that made bingo popular all those years ago, it was also the human factors such as socialising and comradery. To add a little more socialisation into internet-centric games, online bingo sites have always had chat boxes, which allow players to converse. More recently, bingo sites have started introducing live streams, which allow players to watch and converse with a real-life, professional caller.

The more reliable a site is, the more games they offer and the more social aspects it has, the more popular an online bingo site will be. Of course, a good welcome package doesn’t hurt either. This is how online bingo became one of the most popular games not only on the internet but in the entire world. In fact, we’d like to know if you yourself play online bingo and if you’ve ever had any success? Let us know in the comments below.